ESEAP Hub/Meetings/13 February 2021

ESEAP Virtual General Meeting # 6

Date: February 13, 2021 (Saturday)

Time: 07:00 - 08:45 UTC

Moderator: Pru (AU)

Participants

Alex (AU)
Alexander (JP)
Amanda (AU)
Asaf Bartov (IL, Wikimedia Foundation Community Development)
Biyanto (ID)
Butch (PH/SG)
Dody (MY/OD)
Eugene (PH)
Gnangarra (AU)
Irvin (PH)
Johnny (PH)
Kaarel Vaidla (EE, Process Architect for Wikimedia Movement Strategy)
Jamie (TW/FR)
Mervat (JO, Wikimedia Foundation Universal Code of Conduct Facilitation)
Pru (AU)
Rachmat (ID)
Ramzy (ID, Wikimedia Foundation Universal Code of Conduct Facilitation)
Taufik (MY)
Vanj (PH, Wikimedia Foundation Board Governance Committee Facilitation)
Venus (HK, DE)
Victoria (NZ)
Wafiq (MY)

Notes

Round-up of Global movement updates (January 2021)

Wikipedia20 & Asia Pacific Virtual Show
Movement Strategy follow-up meetings
Wikimania 2021 goes virtual / hosted by an at-large Wikimedia community
CEO Katherine Maher leaving WMF
Approval of the Universal Code of Conduct
Grants Strategy Relaunch
WMF By-laws amendment / Community Board Seats
Brand Strategy & formation of a Board Advisory Committee on Branding

Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees/Call for feedback: Community Board seats

Vanj (WMF) talking about Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees/Call for feedback: Community Board seats. Below is the ideas presented about how to select/elect the Community Board seats as of February 13:

Ranked voting system
Quotas
Call for types of skills and experiences
Vetting of candidates
Board-delegated selection committee
Community-elected selection committee
Election of confirmed candidates
Direct appointment of confirmed candidates
Regional seats (suggested by global community)
Specialization seats (suggested by global community)

Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1u7zY-2FJ-60oIBjULcVvxqsu0oSVeXswj8QnDQ2Wcjk/edit#slide=id.gbe21b5469e_0_22

Feedback from ESEAP Community

One community member supported the regional seat allocation and consideration matching with qualification that a board would need and rotation on underrepresented regions/ communities since seat/s are very limited.
Asaf (guest participant) responded that while a diversity of representation on the board is important and desirable, it might not be as effective as may be considered in transmitting direct opinions of the region or group - the point of the role is to is to enrich the board's thinking about *all* business before it, by providing more perspectives. Board members are not "tribunes of the people".
Another community member replied back saying what is the point of having a representation from a community and not represent them on the Board and continued to say that in his opinion, regional representation is pointless. The community elects somebody from their own region, especially those underrepresented, to bring their concerns up there (board).
A new community member mentioned that not having a person from your country or region does not mean you are powerless or voiceless.

Update on the Universal Code of Conduct (UCoC)

Presenters

Mervat: general facilitation
Ramzy: facilitator of Malaysian and Indonesian community

Update

Approved text of UCoC: Universal Code of Conduct/Policy text
Phase 1 report: Universal Code of Conduct/Initial 2020 Consultations
Link for the general community: Universal Code of Conduct
Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese communities in the phase 1
Indonesian, Malaysian communities in the phase 2
Global enforcement plan for UCoC in July 2021, how to make sure the enforcement can be suitable for the local community.
NZ, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia affiliates are shown the interest in the cluster of providing safety and inclusion.
Next stage is discussion on enforcements March - seeking more feedback.
Question to the group as to how we would like that discussion to be conducted.
There will also be a survey for all
Phase 2 round of discussion with Indonesia, Malay languages until end of Feb.
Outcomes expected are feedback for July 2021.
Aiming for as much feedback as possible on norms, culture etc. Aim of UCoC is more local enforcement.
Offered facilitation to those groups that have this as a focus particularly related to enforcement
Need to hear about scenarios that occur when there are issues of behaviour and to be able to brainstorm processes. Want as much feedback as possible.
In March will contact again for coordination of next discussion based on preferences of each group. Survey will be in March.

The WMF UCoC team provide the feedback form:

UCoC RfC at Indonesian Wikipedia: https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Permohonan_pendapat/Pelaksanaan_Kode_Etik_Universal
UCoC RfC at Malay Wikipedia: https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Permohonan_pendapat/Penguatkuasaan_Tatakelakuan_Sejagat

Community Capacity Development (Asaf Bartov)

Community Capacity Development (CCD)
- It is an initiative that aims at identifying needs and ways to build capacity in different Wikimedia communities, and then initiating specific actions to build specific capacities in specific interested communities.
- Key capacities that some communities need and require support. One time intervention of some kind from WMF.
- Have done some training programs to address this: eg. Wiki Arabia, Wikimania etc.
- It is currently being paused and the WMF team invests their time to the new program, WikiLearn.
Community Capacity Map
- It is the self assessment tools to any affiliates or community to submit their self assessment in the page.
- Aim of mapping to get regional perspectives on common gaps and needs to inform training and not taken up much.

WikiLearn
- Piloting with courses on Community Building, Partnership Building and Anti Harrassment techniques courses
- Testing interactive approach to training as well as self study.
- Running as MOOCs on Moodle, materials will be adjusted due to feedback and released on Commons.
- Courses have started but future courses will be offered.
- Enrolments have closed, but materials will be made available.
- At the moment only in English but if it works will offer other languages. Materials will go on to commons.
- Not quite ready to open the platform to affiliates for several reasons including moderation.
- Wikilearn not yet available for everyone yet because of concerns re abuse, quality etc.

Wikimedia Clinics
- It is another program from WMF because of the pandemic, a place to share thoughts and get attention from WMF staff.
- Not recorded and intended to be informal.
- A way to keep in touch and see and hear each other.
- Venue guarantees attention of Wikimedia Foundation staff.
- Open agenda. Connect and bring up whatever is on your mind / what you need advice on / an idea you’d like to share.
- Time zones are generally not ideal for the ESEAP region, an experiment in the time zone was less attended, but Asaf is happy to run another in a suitable time.
- Keep communications open with ESEAP so we know about opportunities to engage

ESEAP Hub Structure / Movement Strategy

Gnangarra presented an idea of the governance & resource allocation of the Hub and its relation to the affiliates, country communities (those without an affiliate), AffCom, global community (both online wiki and in-person) and the Wikimedia Foundation. It was suggested that there is a WMF contractor that will act as a WMF liaison to the Hub until it becomes a legal entity and has a stable structure. A secretariat role is also suggested who will act as a liaison to the serviced communities

Feedback from the ESEAP Community

Positive way forward. Small group. Working towards affiliation status, and still early. Would be excellent to be able to feed into groups and as backup.
Seems like an opportunity - will need to discuss further with their group.
ESEAP Hub will certainly help with the decentralization goal of the Movement Strategy.
Good idea for ESEAP. Contracted person/staff from WMF is good.
Agree with hub idea. Question about who has authority in the hub and how to manage volunteer roles?
If hub could be a place for people who don’t have an affiliate it would be good as many people don't have one.
Need mechanism and timeline for feedback

Feedback from Community Development (Asaf)

Need to consider practicalities and how it will work in practice.
Volunteers overseeing employee can be a big challenge.
Issues of disagreement, how will people get chosen, etc need to be part of proposal.

Feedback from Movement Strategy Team (Kaarel)

Different perspectives from communities.
Some want research first vs emergent and trial and error approach.
Staff member could try things out but taking more time and doing research could work too. But still need plan in place re getting info from communities. Staff person can trial things but still need plan in place to ensure efficient use of time.
WMF doesn't have structure in place for where someone would sit within organisation. WMF knows this is the expectation of some in community.
Timeframe would be possibly be around July 2021 to set up in WMF.
Have some funding that could be allocated but depends on how ready the group is. New fiscal year probably better.